Count Your Blessings Not Your Problems

It’s spring break at my house, currently. Let’s say it’s been a wild one having all the kids home all week. I enjoy having a break from the typical school routine, but I’m glad to have them in school once it’s over.

My second oldest lives with his dad. Sunday evening, I took him home on our normal route through a small town. In that small town stands a church, and in front of the church stands a brick sign. On its signage, reads, “count your blessings, not your problems.” Since that evening, it put my life in a different perspective.

The past few months have been a little rocky for my family. Finances became tight due to unfortunate circumstances. My husband works longer in the evenings, now. Since he started working extended hours, my kids have sensed the weirdness, and have become a handful. They are sensitive to change and prefer to have him home for bedtime. Our typical date nights are now few and far between, which has put a little strain on our marriage, but we are doing the best we can to push through it all.

Despite all those snafus that life has thrown at us, the sign had me think about the blessings in my life. Instead of counting my problems, I’ve listed a few blessings in my life.

My family is healthy.

Fortunate for us, we don’t have chronic illnesses. We don’t have extensive medical bills that put our finances in jeopardy. Head colds and sinus infections are typical for this family, but we are blessed to have nothing major.

We both have jobs.

Of course, we all want to have extra money to make us feel secure, but we could be in a worse position if one of us became unemployed. My husband more than me. Working from home is a huge blessing for me. While I make enough to cover groceries and a couple of bills, every little bit counts!

We have a place to call home.

Our home isn’t fancy by any means. We live in a traditional three-bedroom ranch as a family of six. The neighborhood is also safe and quiet. Sure, I would love to have more space for sanity purposes, but at least it’s a home. I’m also blessed to make our house as a home for everyone to come home to at the end of the day. Maybe one day, I will have my dream house.

I’m alive and thriving.

That’s right. God didn’t forget to wake me up to write this post, this morning. Some days, I feel like I turn to survival mode with four kids, but I make the best of it. I’m grateful to be alive, to take care of my family, and to enjoy this day to the fullest!

These are just a few of many blessings I have in my life. My blessings do outweigh the problems in life. I have to remind myself that the problems are temporary. One day, they will be a part of what’s best to come. So the next time you are faced with tough times, just count your blessings, not your problems.

Tyane Milem

Tyane is a Midwestern boymom of four, furmom of two, and wife to her college sweetheart. Along with blogging, she works from home as an administrative assistant. She enjoys writing, reading and spending time outdoors. She also enjoys cooking and baking, and is obsessed with alternative and grunge music. Her biggest hobby is watching football and cheering on the Indianapolis Colts and Notre Dame Fightin' Irish.